Back to playing in the shop - finally!

After two complete cabinet kitchen projects the past six or eight weeks
(with the excellent assistance of Leon, without whom I would not have
tackled two concurrent projects of this magnitude), it has been nothing but
hard work in the shop for some time.
A couple days ago, with all the above put to rest, I finally got to have
some fun on a _small_ project:
http://www.e-woodshop.net/Projects9.htm#SpiceRack
It's amazing what some dinky scraps, and working on a different scale, with
just an idea in your head, will do for your woodworking attitude. My only
regret is that since this project isn't for me, it will soon be just a
memory and some pictures ... but it's sure been fun!
I am starting to think it's time for me to scale back ...

They took up too much real estate and wouldn't allow two rows of spice jars.
This is not as two tone artsy fartsy, but more practical by a long shot.
Actually, I'm kinda impressed by the thought it took to design (rebuild the
wheel) a simple spice rack ... just the right dimension to keep things from
rattlling around, making sure the racks can be adjusted to miss any shelf in
the cabinet, the rail high enough to not allow anything to fall out when the
cabinet door is closed hard, etc ...

Tom Watson was right ... at our age (mine, not yours) one-off "art pieces"
are the best idea. ;)

pieces"
I've got 23 years on you and often lose sight of how satisfaction is rarely
proportionate to the size of the project. There is something addictive about
freshly sanded, well fitted, bare wood that just plain feels good to the
senses, no matter the size. I've been back to the shop at least three times
tonight to just touch and feel the bare wood in that dinky little spice rack
... and finally brought it into the house so I could do so without having to
fight the mosquitoes.

I'm with you. But I'm in a terrible bind. I've been hoping--praying,
that what I have is a metal allergy. After the worst is over, I still
have rough skin on my finger tips where it has flaked off from the (to
me) severe reaction to *something* that might be the cocobolo I've been
working with recently and have fallen desperately in love with.
Soon I will regain the temerity required to determine whether it is
indeed the cocobolo, or the metal shavings I had also exposed myself to
during that time.
er

I spent a most entertaining and enlightening 45 minutes touring your web
site. Thanks for sharing your shop and the jigs. Lots of food for
thought and some summer projects as I get my shop in order.
Cap'n 321
Swingman wrote:

I am envious, as my bride has me doing a large interior trim and
painting project in the dining room, foyer,stairwell and hall. Large
cornice, chair rail, frame panels, casing and french doors;this is
after laundry room cabinets and 16 feet of base cabinets and bookcases
(with window seat), etc. No time for puttering, no time for making
small tables, etc. New construction in this area (NJ) is just drywall
and some cheap base molding, so I guess I'm investing in the real
estate with the upgrades, but I'll tell ya, its getting pretty
old.......
Mutt
Swingman wrote:

Swingman wrote:
<<often lose sight of how satisfaction is rarely
proportionate to the size of the project. There is something addictive
about
freshly sanded, well fitted, bare wood that just plain feels good to
the
senses, no matter the size.>>
I couldn't agree more. I am also liking more personalized projects a
lot more. I had more actual "fun" at the lathe and belt sander a few
months ago making kitchen ware for Christmas presents. I lined up all
my scraps and made turners, spatulas, spoons, stirrers, etc., and at
the end of a month a group of them. I originally intended to sell them
so I could use the money for a new scroll chuck, but they were claimed
by the signifcant other well before they were available.
I didn't mind too much. I had never done anything like that before,
and I used to take them in and put them out on the table just to look
at them. They were so far off the path of what I usually do I grew
attached to all of them. So now we have a big cannister full of
"treen" ware.
I liked your rack a lot. Is it for an upper or lower? Your design?
May have to swipe an idea or two from your pics!
And do try to keep Leon busy. I would hate to hear of someone in
Houston arrested for resawing his neighbor's garage with some kind of
new bandsaw! Of course, with all that high powered resaw capability he
should be able to keep you in lots of smaller pieces for those smaller
projects....
Robert

Lower cabinet ... a tray is a tray, but haven't seen anything exactly like
it that uses French cleats to make it adjustable. Working with 1/4" stock
will make you finally see the wisdom of a 23 gauage pin nailer if you don't
already have one ... I used clamps, but one is now on my short list.

LOL ... his neighbors are keeping an eye on their hardwoods. Leon's walking
around with paper thin resaws in his shirt pockets to show off - and I do
mean tissue paper thin. That bandsaw is impressive in what it'll do.

Maybe he should go into the business card thing... must be a market in the wRECk
for see-through wood card blanks, right?
Mac
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

walking
wRECk
Hehe ... the one he sawed/I saw the other day was way too thin for a
business card!
... and apparently reproducible. I was proud that my lowly Delta 14" would
do about a 1/16th" slice, with luck and depending upon the type of wood, but
this was less than half that.

Swingman wrote:
<<Working with 1/4" stock
will make you finally see the wisdom of a 23 gauage pin nailer if you
don't
already have one ... >>
Nope, no pinner yet. I have always been hoping that the trail of tears
(you know, just one more tool) would end. But I watched a guy put
together a custom fireplace mantle with one of those and it was
remarkable. He shot those pins wherever he damn well pleased putting
on moldings, embossings, and dentils. Never a split, and since he shot
at a slightly up angle, I couldn't even find that many holes. If you
buy one, I hope you let us know which one and why.
<<Leon's walking around with paper thin resaws in his shirt pockets to
show off >>
I LMAO at that one. Not too hard to imagine.
Leon: Say, I heard you just had a new grand kid....
Unsuspecting person: Yeah, I sure did. Take a look at this! (Holds
out a picture)
Leon: Hell, you think that's impressive, take a look at this! (Holds
out small veneer piece)
The thing is, if it were me and I had Leon's saw I would probably do
the same thing.
Robert

My trim guy has a Senco, he has had problems with it, and it's pricey. I was
thinking about the Porter Cable 23 ga pinner ... it's got good reviews and
my PC finish nailer has been a good, reliable gun.
Problem is I'm not sure that PC stuff is as good as it was when I bought
that FN.
I'm open to suggestion from anyone ...

Swingman:
Remember this thread? We were both in it:
http://tinyurl.com/knj7l
I had some other feedback from some amigos about the Senco not sinking
the nails all the way. Some say yes, some say no. You might ping
Robatoy and see what he settled on as I know he was in buying mode at
the time he started that thread.
Robert

Now that you mention it ... the Bostitch TU-216-2330 certainly has a better
price than the Grex (and they're both Taiwanese) and local availability of
ammo looks like it could be a factor with the Grex. Seems like quite a few
have the same problem with the PC not sinking pins properly.
Circle Saw has the Bostitch ... will probably check it out. Thanks for the
heads-up, Robert.

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